Skeleton Man

Author: Joseph Bruchac
Publisher: Harper Collins
Copyright Date: 2001
Number of Pages: 114
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary: In this book a native american child named Molly experiences a great adventure. As she was growing up her parents always told her to trust her dreams and her thoughts. One day both of her parents go missing and she is brought to live with a supposed uncle whom she had never met before. She is suspicious from the very beginning. At night the man locks her in her bedroom and she has bars on her window. She goes to her teacher for guidance but she just takes Molly to a counselor and the counselor determines that the child has a chemical imbalance of some sort. Discouraged, but not without hope, Molly decides to trust her dreams. One day she escapes from her room and enters her supposed uncle's study. In his study she discovers a picture of her mother tied up in what looks like a tool shed. So Molly distracts her uncle and then goes to the tool shed. There she discovers a trap door, under which her parents are found. Suddenly her supposed uncle appears and she runs away and tries to escape. In the end Molly gets away and her parents are freed.

Personal Response: This book was very entertaining. It kept me guessing. I was actually surprised by the ending because it turned out that she hadn't just made up the story after all. This book was very well written and entertaining.

Potential Problems: In this story Molly is locked in her room every night and there is a lot of implied evil in this book. It may be too dark for some children.

Recommended to: I would recommend this book to a child that enjoys mystery books.

The Blue Stone Plot

Author: Susan Blackaby
Publisher: Picture Window Books
Copyright Date: 2008
Number of Pates: 62
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary: Rufus and Silvia work with their uncle at a pottery shop. One day a mysterious man comes in with something for their uncle. Mischievous Silvia finds out that it is a paper with some numbers on it. Throughout the next few days more men come in, they all wear the same blue stone ring as the first man. One day the children's uncle leaves the shop and tells them to keep watch over it. Instead of staying at the store they follow their uncle to a mansion. There they discover that there is a meeting to overthrow the emperor. Their uncle is a spy for the government that is sneaking. The other people in the group begin to suspect the uncle. In the end Silvia and Rufus come to his rescue by distracting the people until the officers of the emperor come and put a stop to the meeting and the plan to take over the government.

Personal Response: I thought that this book was very enjoyable and easy to read. I think that this book would be better for younger readers. The storyline is good and interesting and the mystery is intriguing.

Potential Problems: In this book the young children do not listen to their uncle after being told what to do and then they receive an award for it by saving him.

Recommended to: I would recommend this book to a young reader that is struggling with reading. This would be a good first chapter book for a reader that enjoys pictures to go along with the words.
Recommended to:

Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims

Author: Clyde Robert Bulla

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Copyright Date: 1954

Number of Pages: 112

Reading Level: 4-10

Summary: Squanto had heard a great deal about the white men. When they arrived at the shores of his tribe he was very interested in them. He approached them slowly. The first group of white men that he meets are friendly and take him with them to the different tribes in the area so that Squanto can communicate with the other Indians for them and communicate their intentions and help them trade with the Indians. The group of sailors and tradesmen then offer Squanto a trip to their homeland with them. Squanto is very excited by the opportunity. However, he is stranded in the Americas for a great deal of time. At first he is put on display for people to pay to see him. Later he becomes part of the community and people become accustomed to him. He ends up wanting to go back to his homeland so he can live with his tribe and his family. Another group of white men take him with them. One of the people is extremely evil and ends up capturing Squanto and several other Indians. He is sent to a slave trade and he almost is kept as a slave. Two great white men pay the money for him and then let him go. Finally Squanto goes back to his homeland but his tribe is gone. He finds out from neighboring tribes that his family line had all died out due to disease. They invite him to live with them and he does for a portion of time. Pilgrims come to the land and in the end Squanto helps them learn how to survive. 

Personal Response: I thought that this book was very well written. It was written simplistically enough for a young child to be able to understand it but the plot and the storyline was interesting enough to hold older children's attention. It is realistic and historically accurate. 

Potential Problems: In part of this book the Native Americans are treated like animals. They are sent on a ship to a slave trade. This may not be appropriate for younger children. 

Recommended to: I would recommend this book to children that want to learn more about the pilgrims and the Indians. 

A Single Shard

Author: Linda Sue Park
Publisher: Clarion Books
Copyright Date: 2001
Number of Pages: 148
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary: Tree-ear is a young man that lives on the streets. He was left there with Crane-man, a homeless man that lives under the bridge, at a very young age. Crane-man taught him how to be respectful and honest and to work hard for things. Tree-ear had always had a fascination with pottery making and he liked to watch the old potters at work. One day he was sneakily watching Min, the best potter in the village, when Min went back to the house. Tree-ear snuck out of his hiding place to examine the potters work. Then Min appeared out of nowhere and started beating the boy for stealing. In shock the boy dropped the potters work. Tree-ear began to work for the potter to repay him for his accident. He works for him for nine days chopping wood. At the end of the nine days Tree-ear goes back to the potter and asks if he could help him regularly. The potter agrees and the boy begins to work for him. Tree-ear began to learn more and more about making pottery. Then it is heard throughout the village that the great emissary would be coming to look at the potters work and grant a commission. All of the potters begin to prepare, including Min. On his way to the potters house Tree-ear sees that one of the other potters is up to something. He eventually finds out that the other potter has learned a new skill and he begins to worry for Min. When the emissary comes and examines everyones work he stays at the other potters stand the longest but he likes Min's work the most. A month later the emissary has chosen the other potter for his new technique but he visit's Min and tells him that if he brings a work to him at the capital he would change his mind. The Potter first dispares knowing that at his age it would be an impossible task to travel to the capital. Then Tree-ear offers to do it for him. They begin their work to create the new works. When they are ready Crane-man, Min, and the old potters wife see him off and he begins his journey. Everything goes seemingly well until Tree-ear is attacked by bandits that think his pack is full of rice. When they discover that they are just pots they throw them over the edge of a cliff. Still, Tree-ear goes down and recovers a single shard that shows the potters new technique. He brings it to the emissary and a commission is granted to Min. In the end, the potter and his wife accept Min as their son when he returns and Crane-man is killed.

Personal Response: I think that this book was amazingly well-written. I thought that this story would be boring because it is about pottery makers, but I came to appreciate the art and the people that created them and still do. This book is a great tool to help others be empathetic.

Potential Problems: This books portrays a homeless boy struggling to find food, without a home or family. Also, the man that raised him is killed at the end.

Recommended to: I would recommend this to anyone young or old. It is a fantastic book and could be enjoyed at all ages. However, I would not recommend it to younger children as they would not understand it and they would probably not be interested in it.

Living With My Stepfather is Like Living With a Moose

Author: Lynea Bowdish
Publisher: Douglas and McIntyre Ltd.
Copyright Date: 1997
Number of Pages: 55
Reading level: Ages 9-12






Summary: Matt's mother got together with a man named Frank. Frank is an absolute klutz. He trips over everything and Matt thinks that he is constantly making a fool of himself. His mother has the brilliant idea of making Matt and Frank spend time together. One disaster after another occurs as Matt tries to teach Frank how to bowl and play basketball. Finally his mother suggests that Frank take Matt to the movies and Matt agrees to it whole heartedly thinking that there is absolutely no way that Frank could screw that up with his klutzyness. However, he was very mistaken because Frank's laugh is so embarrassing to Matt that he goes home feeling awful. All of Matt's friends seem to like Frank, and his best friend says that Frank is a good sport and that he's not that bad. Eventually his mother gives up hope and believes that Frank and Matt will never get along. Then Frank asks Matt if he wants to come bird watching with him. Matt discovers that he's not very good with birds. In the end Frank wins the father son baseball game for there team and Matt realizes that his stepfather isn't that bad and he is a good sport.

Personal Response: I enjoyed reading this book. It was entertaining, humorous, and it had a good message for children that are unsure if they like a new parent. It was well written and the few pages that had pictures on them were rather entertaining.

Potential Problems: I couldn't find any potential problems in this book.

Recommended to: I would recommend this book to a child that has a recent stepparent and is deciding whether or not they like them. It is a great book to show that stepparents are not all bad.

All Alone

Author: Claire Huchet Bishop
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright Date: 1953
Number of Pages: 95
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary: A young  shepherd-boy named Marcel was sent by his father to the Little Giant which is a field in the French Alps of Saucie. He is to spend the entire summer up there alone to care for the cows. The town that he is from is a town that believes that you need to mind your own business so that you don't get yourself into trouble. Marcel is warned by his father that there is another boy in the Alps on the Big Giant and that Marcel should not talk to or acknowledge the boy. When both boys are alone at night they yodel to each other as a way of saying goodnight. One day Marcel awakes from a brief unexpected nap to realize that he has twice as many cows as he had  before he fell asleep! When he looks at the bells on the cows he realizes that three of the other boys cows had wandered onto his land. He assumed that the other boy had fallen asleep also and so his cows hand wandered away. At first Marcel remembers his fathers words and thinks of shooing the cows off of his land but he realizes that if he does this the other boy's cows will surely fall to their deaths. Instead of shooing them away he cares for the cows and brings them down to drink from the river all by himself. The other boy is at the river and they fight at first but then a great storm comes and they realize that they need to stay until the storm passes. However, a great tidal wave from higher up the stream comes from the storm and the boys have to flee to safety, the only option is to go to the Big Giant with the other boy.  When the storm passes they realize that they are stranded on the mountain as both paths to the Little Giant or the village are blocked. The boys stay on the mountain together for a whole week before they are rescued. The town had worked together to clear the path the Big Giant. The Little Giant had been destroyed in the storm and if Marcel had been there he and his cows would have been killed. In the end a great festival is thrown in honor of the resurrection of the town and their ability to work together. The town will work together from then on and everyone is joyful.

Personal Response: I really liked this book and I thought the meaning was wonderful. It teaches about working together and the value of friendship. It was well-written and the story flowed very smoothly.

Potential Problems: I couldn't find any potential problems in this book.

Recommended To: I would recommend this book to any child that needs to learn how to work with others. This would be a great tool to use to talk about how working together leads to a better world.

Shoeshine Girl

Author: Clyde Robert Bulla
Publisher: Thomas Y. Crowell
Copyright Date: 1975
Number of Pages: 84
Reading level: Ages 7-10






Summary: Sara Ida is a young child that was sent to live with her Aunt Claudia because her parents couldn't handle her anymore.  Sara was very resentful of her parents. She didn't understand why her parents sent her away. She believed that her parents simply hated her and were very unjust. In reality, Sarah's father was busy with work and her mother was getting sick. Also, Sara's friend had stolen a dress from a store and her mother didn't want Sara to be around that kind of influence. Sara also was prone to stealing because she did not feel comfortable unless she had money in her pocket. At first she resents living with her aunt. Her aunt wont give her any money. She decides to borrow some from the young girl that lives next door after she sees her little piggy bank. The girl lets her but the next day Sara gets in trouble with her aunt because the girls parents had noticed that their daughters money was gone. Sara proclaimed that if Aunt Claudia had given her money she wouldn't have to borrow it from anyone. Aunt Claudia says that in order to have money she would have to earn it from a job. Thinking that her Aunt was just playing games with her Sara runs off to the town looking for a job. At first she wanders through the stores but she decides that nobody will hire her. When she works up the courage to ask the pet store people for a job they tell her that she is too young, but Al the shoe-shiner was hiring. Thinking that her Aunt wont allow her to work there she tells her, surprisingly she thinks its a good idea. The next day Sara starts work. When she earns money for the first time and walks into a store she looks around and decides she doesn't want to spend her money unless its for something very important. Sara and Al become friends and she learns how to treat someone with respect. One day, after Al had gone to get more polish he is hit by a car. Sara decides to keep the shoe shine booth open and many people come and give her extra tips for Al. Sara brings the money to Al's wife instead of keeping it for herself. Eventually Al is healed and can come back to work. Then Aunt Claudia tells Sara that her parents have sent her a letter and want her to come home. At first she doesn't want to go back to her family, but when her Aunt tells her that her mother is very sick and her family wants her to be there Sara is more understanding. In the end Al comes to see her off at the station and he gives her his little trophy.

Personal Response: I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very well written and the message that Sara learned was very important, especially in today's world. Sara discovered the importance of money and not to spend it away quickly. She also developed a respect for others and she learned the value of work. She also learned how to serve others.

Potential Problems: In this book the shoe shiner named Al is hit by a fast moving car. The book doesn't show the gory details but the fact that he is hit by a car is shocking and some parents might not want their child to read it.

Recommended To: I would recommend this book to all children because it includes an important message that all children should learn.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Author: Judy Blume
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing
Copyright Date: 1972
Number of Pages: 120
Reading Level: Ages 4-8






Summary: This book is about a boy named Peter Hatcher. At the beginning of the book Peter tells us that his biggest problem is his little brother Fudge. Throughout the whole book Fudge is ruining his brothers life. Peter expresses the jealousy because Fudge is treated differently. Their parents give Fudge anything that he wants to keep him from throwing a tantrum. Also, Peter repeatedly is asked by his parents to do things so that his brother will follow him. Peter feels kind of honored at first but he quickly begins to loath having to do things for his brother. Peter has to watch his brother, stand on his head so that his brother will eat, wear ugly shoes so that Fudge will want the shoes, and even ride a little boys bike so that Fudge will want to ride it for a commercial. Fudge also gets Peter in trouble, ruins his fathers chance of helping a client, and causes all sorts of problems. However, the worst thing that Fudge does is at the very end. Fudge eats Peter's pet turtle, Dribble. Peter's parents become obsessive with Fudge's welfare and he is immediately rushed to the hospital. In the chaos it seems as though everyone has forgotten about Peter's poor turtle. However, in the end Peter's father comes home with a big present, Peter assumes that it is for fudge. Then his Dad says that he understands how Peter must feel because it was his pet. Peter tells his Dad that he doesn't want another turtle.   Instead of another turtle Peter is given a Dog, one that will grow and definitely be too big for Fudge to swallow.

Personal Response: This book was absolutely hilarious at parts. The relationship between Peter and his family was absolutely believable. However, this story was seemingly meaningless because there wasn't an underlying theme.

Potential Problems: I could not find any potential problems in this book.

Recommended To: I would recommend this book to a child that has a younger or older sibling or is a middle child that sometimes feels neglected by their parents.

Japan

Author: Michael Dahl
Publisher: Capstone Press
Copyright Date: 1997
Number of Pages: 24
Reading Level: Ages 4-8






Summary: This book talks about different aspects of Japan. It talks about the landscape and the schooling. It talks about the priorities of the Japanese and their culture of respect. It also talks about the climate and what kind of animals inhabit the land. It talks about the transportation system in Japan and how people get around the island. It talks about Japanese sports such as sumo wrestling and relay races. Lastly it talks about the home and what the Japanese eat.

Personal Response: This book gives a great deal of information about the Japanese. I enjoyed reading it and I thought it was well written and the pictures added to the text.

Potential Problems: I couldn't find any potential problems with this book.

Recommended to: I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn more about a culture from another country. This book would be a great reference for a student to do a report on another country.

American Symbols and Monuments

Author: Jiill Foran
Publisher: Weigl Publishers Inc.
Copyright Date: 2004
Number of Pages: 24
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary: This book talks about memorials as being something that honors a memory, person, or event. It displays and talks about many different monuments and symbols in America. It says that many of the monuments stand for freedom and justice. It talks about the Statue of Liberty and the American Revolution and how the statue represents liberty and freedom. Next it talks about the Washington Monument and how it was built for George Washington in honor of his memory. It goes on to talk about the Lincoln  Memorial and Mount Rushmore. It shows a map of where the memorials of the United States are located. On the last page there is a page that says that you can create your own monument that means something to you individually.

Personal Response: I thought that this book was rather simplistic for nine to twelve year olds. However, it accurately showed the purpose of symbols and monuments and it gave some interesting information about some of the monuments and statues in the United States.

Potential Problems: I couldn't find any potential problems in this book.

Recommended to: I would recommend this to children that are interested in the meanings of statues and monuments. This would be a great book to read before a trip to Washington DC or New York City.

The Alpache Indians

Author: Bill Lund
Publisher: Capstone Press
Copyright Date: 1998
Number of Pages: 24
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary: This book gives a brief description of the Alpache indian people. It talks about how they once were and how they now are. It also talks about their government and the way they lived and live. It talks about what their homes were like and how the people celebrated or worshiped. It talks about their religion and culture.

Personal Response: I thought that this book was going to talk more about the life of Indians from the past, but it talked more about how Indians live today on reservations. It talks about how they have maintained their culture from the past. It also talks about the transition between being nomadic and living on reservations. I thought it was interesting and the pictures supported the text.

Potential Problems: I couldn't find any potential problems in this book.

Recommended to: I would recommend this book to a child that is interested in native americans and how they live today.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Author: Sharlene and Ted Nelson
Publisher: Childrens Press
Copyright Date: 1998
Number of Pages: 47
Reading Level: Ages 4-9

Summary: This book shares information about the volcanoes in Hawaii. It also talks about the way scientists measure or watch the volcanoes and predict when they will erupt. It shares some information about volcanoes and the things they can cause or create, such as the islands of Hawaii and Lava tubes that create tunnels that people can walk through.

Personal Response: I thought that this book was interesting and provided a great deal of information about volcanoes and the people of Hawaii.

Potential Problems: I couldn't find any potential problems in this book.

Recommended To: I would recommend this book to children that are interested in volcanoes. This would be a good book for someone who is not interested in books to read because it is interesting and could help the child become interested in reading.

A Brief Political and Geographical History of Africa

Author: John Davenport
Publisher: Mitchell Lane Publishers
Copyright Date: 2008
Number of Pages: 108
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary: This book gives a very accurate and interesting history of the politics and geography of Africa. The book is filled with facts about influential people and groups of people in Africa. It also incorporates the interesting facts about the land and the way it has impacted Africa's history. This book travels all around the continent of Africa and gives details about the politics and geography of the entire continent.

Personal Response: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It provides a great deal of accurate and interesting information about the continent of Africa. There are many things that I did not know about Africa that I learned from this book. It includes a great deal of information about some of the influential people in Africa and the political and geographical history.

Potential Problems: This book contains a graphic image of a mummy and some of Africa's history includes violence that may not be appropriate for young children to read.

Recommended to: This book would be great for a child to use as a reference for a presentation on the Continent of Africa but it could also be used to present something about a country in Africa as it includes a great deal of information about individual countries as well as the entire continent. This is also a great source of interesting and supportive pictures that help portray the history of Africa.

Patterns

Author: Peter Patilla
Publisher: Reed Educational and Professional Publishing
Copyright Date: 2000
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 4-8






Summary: This book is about all of the different patterns that are found in nature and things all around us. It talks about a large variety of patterns. Some of the patterns that are referred to in this book are color patterns, line patterns, ring patterns, overlapping patterns, and symmetrical patterns. It gives examples of each of the patterns. One color examples of patterns that is referred to is the rainbow. One example of a line pattern that is referred to is the lines that are made as a person skis down a hill.  One example of a ring pattern found in this book is a bicycle wheel. One example of an overlapping pattern that is referred to is the ripples after a stone is thrown into a body of water. One example of a symmetrical pattern in this book is the wings of a butterfly.

Personal Response: I thought this book was wonderfully written and the patterns were beautifully depicted. This book does a great job at involving the reader by asking him or her questions about the images that are shown. It invites the reader to look around for patterns.

Potential Problems: I couldn't find any potential problems in this book.

Recommended to: This would be a great book for a child that is interested in art. It would also be very useful when a teacher is talking about or teaching things about art.

The Philipines

Author: Lucile Davis
Publisher: Capstone Press
Copyright Date: 1999
Number of Pages: 24
Reading Level: Ages 4-8






Summary: This book is a non-fiction book that tells about The Philippines. It gives general information about the nation's symbols and population information and it also gives information about the geography, the people, the children, foods, animals, and other interesting information about the area.

Personal Response: I enjoyed reading this book because it provided great information about the Philippines. It also included bonus information such as how to make a paper lantern. I thought it was filled with great information and the pictures were supportive to the text.

Potential Problems:I could not find any potential problems in this book

Recommended to... I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in the Philippines ore getting to know people or lifestyles around the world. This would be a great book for a child to use when preparing to present a presentation on a country in the world.

Egypt

Author: Kathleen W. Deady
Publisher: Capstone Press
Copyright Date: 2001
Number of Pages: 24
Reading Level: Ages 4-8






Summary: This book is a non-fiction book that tells about Egypt. The information that is given includes facts about the currency, the land, the people, the food, and current information about what Egypt is like today. This book is enhanced with real photographs that show examples of what is talked about in print.

Personal Response: This book did not include very specific information about Egypt, rather it only included the general information. This book might not be interesting or useful enough for a child. It doesn't provide any interesting facts about Egypt, rather it just gives the bare essentials.

Potential Problems: I cannot find any potential problems with this book.

Recommended to: I would recommend this to a child between the ages of four and eight that was presenting a report on Egypt. However, I would also recommend that they use more sources because this book does not provide additional information that could be found from other sources.

Lizzie and the Buckminster Boy

Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Publisher: Yearling
Copyright Date: 2004
Number of Pages: 217
Reading Level: 9-12






Summary
Turner Buckminster is a minister's son. His family moves to a small town in Maine so that his father can be a minister there. Turner does not get along with the locals. He is seen as a disrespectful young boy that should behave more like a minister's son. He is originally shunned because of his inability to hit a ball with a bat. He continually has a persistent attitude. He wants to prove himself to the neighborhood. He does this by pretending that he knows things when he really doesn't, and acting like a good minister's son is supposed to. However, these things go against who he really is and he ends up making a fool of himself and being untrue to who he really is. He meets a young black girl named Lizzie Bright when he is upset and alone throwing stones up into the air and hitting them with a stick. Lizzie ends up scaring him on accident and a stone that he just threw comes back and hits him in the face. Lizzie has a relentless straightforward and blunt attitude and manner. Turner and Lizzie become close friends as they spend more time together. However, because Lizzie is a black girl Turner's parents and the white community shun the idea of them spending time together. Turner is forbidden from traveling to the island where she lives. Gradually Turner develops more strength and confidence in himself. Towards the end of the book Lizzie and her family are being kicked out of their home by the white community. They end up being sent to the insane asylum. Later Turner goes to save her and discovers that she is dead. He is told that people like her don't survive long in there. Turner's father, who originally was just trying to be accepted by the community, stands up for Turner and ends up getting killed. In the end Turner and his mother are two of the only people that stay in the town later. Throughout the book there is a reoccurring theme of the idea that whales know things and you can see it in their eyes, but if you ever get close enough to touch one, that means that you have come to understand what they know. In the end Turner touches a whale.

Personal Response
I really did not like this book. I thought the message was not worth all of the tragedy that occurs. I also really disliked some of the underlying themes. The writer seemed to be really anti-religion and I did not like that message.

Potential Problems
The language in this novel is questionable at times. Also, there is a great deal of tragedy. Lastly, this book contains an anti-religion point of view which may not be approved of my religious parents or individuals.

Recommended to...
I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Beauty

Author: Robin McKinley
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright Date: 1978
Number of Pages: 246
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary
A young girl named Honour, known as Beauty by all as a nickname given to her when she was very young, believes herself to be very plain and not at all beautiful. She comes to dislike the nickname that was chosen for her because of this view that she has for herself. Her father is a very wealthy merchant at the beginning of the book and her two sisters are beautiful and doted on by all of the people in town. In contrast, Beauty spends her time reading books and educating herself, with the goal of future schooling in mind. However a great disaster befalls the family when several of her father's ships are either destroyed or go missing. With the help of a family friend, and future husband to one of Beauty's sisters, Ger, the family relocates to a very small town in the country. Ger becomes a blacksmith and Beauty's father becomes a carpenter. The family lives on the edge of a great forest which the family is warned is enchanted. One day word comes to Beauty's father that one of the ships that had been missing has returned. He sets out immediately. Before he leaves he asks his daughters what they desire him to bring back from the city. The two beautiful sisters ask for jewelry whereas Beauty asks for the seeds of Roses so that she can grow a garden. On the night of a great blizzard their father returns with two full sacks and a single red red rose. The next day he tells them his story. On his way home he had been caught up in a great blizzard and was eventually lost in the enchanted woods. He came upon a path that led to an enchanted castle. There, he was made very comfortable and spent the night. However, in the morning as he journeyed towards the edge of the castle grounds he plucked a single rose from the great garden. A giant beast appeared and angrily proclaimed that for stealing from him the man would be destroyed. However, when the man explained his story and how he simply wanted to give Beauty her flowers the beast is somewhat understanding and states that instead of killing him he would let the man send one of his daughters to the beast. Either that or he would return to the beast in a month and be killed. The daughter would have to come of her own free will however. When their father finishes the story the daughters are astonished. Beauty bravely offers to go in her fathers stead. With some convincing, it is decided that she will do so. She arrives at the enchanted castle and is at first very fearful of the great Beast, when the beast is seeking companionship, a wife. Over time Beauty comes to care for the Beast but when she hears word that her sister's happiness could be at stake the Beast allows her to return to her family for a week. He gives her a rose and tells her to return before the rose has died, because he cannot live without her and when the rose is dead, it means that he will be too. Beauty returns to her family and spends a week and a day there. The final day that she stays she is only thinking of the Beast and worrying for his safety. She struggles to return to the Beast as the enchantments that would lead her to him are weak because he is close to death. When she finds him he is laying on the floor very close to death. She tells him that she has grown to love him and that she is willing to marry him. Suddenly the beast is transformed into a handsome prince. At the end of the story Beauty looks in the mirror for the first time in several years and realizes that she is truly beautiful now. The prince, now no longer the Beast, and Beauty are married at the very end of the book in a huge ceremony where her sister is married to her true love, and her father is married to a woman.

Personal Response
I absolutely loved this book. It is full of adventure, excitement, love, passion, hope, beauty, persona trial, and even humor. The author's writing style and technique is advanced. In my opinion this book should have received an award for its excellence.

Potential Problems
This book contains some stereotypes of beauty and ugliness.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this to young girls that are starting to grow up and become more aware of themselves.

Love That Dog

Author: Sharon Creech
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright Date: 1997
Number of Pages: 95
Reading Level: 9-12






Summary
Love That Dog is a book full of poems written by Jack. Jack is a young boy that does not want to write poetry because he believes that its for girls. Throughout the book he is writing poems to his teacher Mrs. Stretchberry about how he responds to the poetry that she shares in class. At first he is very much against writing poetry and he absolutely does not want to share any poetry that he writes with the class, at least not with his name on it. Gradually he comes to accept the pleasures of poetry and he even writes to a poet, Walter Dean Myers, that he comes to love reading. Mr. Myers comes to Jack's school by invitation and Jack is so enthusiastic and excited. Jack writes a letter to Mr. Myers expressing his gratitude that he came, despite how busy he surely is. The end of the book includes the poems that Mrs. Stretchberry shared with her class, and the poems that Jack responded to.

Personal Response
I really enjoyed this book. I never have appreciated poetry very much but this book provides a different viewpoint that I think every student could benefit from.

Potential Problems
In the book Jack writes a poem about how his dog Sky died. This may be too gory for some younger or more sensitive children.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this book to a teacher that is teaching poetry or any student that enjoys, or doesn't enjoy poetry.

A Year Down Yonder

Author: Richard Peck
Publisher: Dial Books
Copyright Date: 2000
Number of Pages: 130
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary
Mary Alice was sent to live with her grandmother in the country because the Great Depression had struck her family and they could no longer afford to live together. At first Mary Alice is very opposed to the idea of living with her grandmother because she will be away from all of the modern pleasures such as television, and toilets. However, she has no choice but to leave. She arrives by train and her grandmother comes to pick her up from the station. Mary Alice is immediately taken to school and her grandmother, who is quite the character, takes her personal items to the house. Adventures never cease with Grandma Dowdel. Grandma tricks a bully from school and sends her off running without her shoes and her horse. She steals peacons and pumpkins with the help of Mary Alice for some pies for a festival. She also shows her compassion in a very different way. She helps obtain money for a poor family by manipulating the townspeople into giving her ridiculous amounts of money for some soup. Also, after a tornado hits the town Grandma Dowdel brings Mary Alice as she goes to help a mean old man who she knew would be trapped or dead in his home. A new boy arrives in town just in time for valentines day. Another girl at the school develops an instant crush on him, but Mary Alice, with the help of her friend create fake valentines that try to make the girl think that he likes somebody else. In the end Mary Alice has to leave her grandmother and she wishes that she could stay. Mary Much later marries the new boy from before at Grandma Dowdel's house even though her parents cannot come.

Personal Response
I thought that this book was very well written and very entertaining. There is a great deal of humor in this book as the character of Grandma Dowdel does crazy, humorous, and yet some how caring things.

Potential Problems
Some of Grandma Dowdel's acts could be seen as crimes or injustices.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this book to any older child that is interested in a humorous wonderful book.

Lincoln: A Photobiography

Author: Russell Freedman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Copyright Date: 1987
Number of Pages: 144
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary
This book is an in-depth look into the life of Abraham Lincoln. It portrays him in a very real way. The book uses photographs and prints to add to the stories that are contained in this book. At the beginning it talks about the overall view of Lincoln and introduces his character. The book then goes on to talk about his early life, his parents, and his family. It continues to talk about his daily life and the jobs that he procured. Abraham Lincoln was a well-liked young man that was humorous, social-able, and hard-working. The book talks about Lincoln's interest in law and politics. It also talks about his bouts of depression and struggles with the death of loved ones. It also discusses Lincoln's rise to presidency and the war over slavery. It shows Lincoln's goal to keep the North and the South united. In the end, it talks about Lincoln's assassination and his funeral.

Personal Response
I thought that this photo-biography was very well written. It was packed with information about Lincoln that was purely factual and showed very little bias. I really liked how Lincoln was portrayed in a non-idealistic way. Both his strengths and weaknesses were recognized in this book. The photographs and prints added to the quality of the book and made it exceptional.

Potential Problems
Some of the images in this book are gory and could be considered inappropriate for the eyes of children.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in studying the life of Abraham Lincoln. This would be a great book for a child to read as a source for a report on the president.

The Story of Ruby Bridges

Author: Robert Coles
Illustrated by: George Ford
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright Date: 1995
Number of Pages: 26
Reading Level: Ages 4-8





Summary
This picture book tells the story of Ruby Bridges. Ruby and her family are portrayed as very religious good black Americans. In 1960 a judge proclaimed that some black students could attend school with the white students at the white school. Ruby was one of the students that was selected. Evey day Ruby walked by an angry mob of white people that would yell and threaten her but Ruby was guarded by federal marshals that walked her into school every day. She was the only student in her classroom because the other kid's parents wouldn't let them go to school with a black girl. Ruby's teacher wondered at where her strength came from because Ruby didn't seem to be afraid of the people that hated her and she behaved like a regular kid despite everything that was going on. One day as Ruby was walking to the school she stopped near the crowd. The teacher wondered what she could possibly be saying to them. When she came into the classroom Ruby was asked what she said to them. Ruby proclaimed that she wasn't talking she was praying for them. At the end of the book it tells what happened later. Some white boys joined Ruby at the school because there parents were tired of the issue. The other parents were angry at first but eventually other children went back to school.

Personal response
I think that this was a very well written book considering the topic and the audience. The author was able to give enough information about the story without giving too much information, information that would not suit young children. The facts were accurate and the meaning was good. The soft watercolors and illustrations were very well done and helped the story.

Potential Problems
Parents who are anti-religious would not like this book because it is very religious in parts.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this to a teacher that is covering this period of time in his or her classroom.

Children Just Like Me

Author: Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley
Publisher: DK Publishing
Copyright Date: 1995
Number of Pages: 79
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary
This book is a compilation of the lives of children all around the world. It includes descriptions of children in India, Ethiopia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, Far East, Jordon, Lapland, Poland, Canada, and more. Each  page includes the child presented, his or her family, and some detailed information about their life. The pages include actual photographs of the children and the details of their lives. Each page also includes a quote from the child.

Personal Response
I really enjoyed reading through this book. I think it showed a very accurate understandable description of children all around the world. It made the children and their homeland very real. I liked how the children were depicted as happy no matter what their financial or other situations may be.

Potential Problems
I could not find any potential problems for this book.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this to all children in the appropriate age group. This would be a great tool to use to teach children about other countries and the people that live there. I would recommend this to a student that would do a report on a country or group of people.

The Great Gilly Hopkins

Author: Katherine Paterson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright Date: 1978
Number of Pages: 178
Reading Level: 9-12






Summary
Gilly Hopkins is a foster child that is known as an unmanageable child. She relishes in her ability to drive adults absolutely crazy. Her only motivation is to cause as much havoc as possible. Little known to those around her, her strongest desire is to be with her mother, who she believes still loves her and wants her. Gilly is brought to Mrs. Trotter's home as a foster child. Gilly decides to treat her the same way  that she's treated all of her other foster parents. However, Mrs. Trotter responds differently to Gilly and the young foster child begins to love her new mother just like her new mother has grown to love her. Unfortunately, while Gilly was still rebelling from Mrs. Trotter she wrote a not to her real mother which displayed her situation as abusive. In response, Gilly's real grandmother is sent to scout out Gilly's situation. She shows up at exactly the wrong time. With Mrs. Trotter's home in chaos the grandmother urgently pulls Gilly from the foster system. When Gilly's real mother comes to visit her Gilly comes to terms with reality. Her real mother did not lover her and only came to visit because her grandmother had paid her to. Gilly becomes stuck in her current situation and cannot live with Mrs. Trotter again. In the end, Gilly comes to accept what she has gotten herself into and makes the best of what she has.

Personal Response
I can understand how this book can be considered a great book because of the real life lessons of accepting what you are dealt and accepting your mistakes and moving forward. However, this book shows some very harsh realities which makes it hard for the reader to enjoy to a certain extent. This book is not a book that makes you happy but it is a book that makes you think.

Potential Problems
The realism in this book may be a little too much for some readers. This book contains swearing and crude language. It also contains a mother that has abandoned her child. It also contains young children learning how to fight and a child that steals from adults. Some parents would not want their child to read this book.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this to a young person that has Gilly's attitude or anyone that would benefit from learning that love is important and that you have to deal with the consequences of your actions.

Stargirl

Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Knopf Books
Copyright Date: 2001
Number of Pages: 199
Reading Level: Ages 10-14






Summary
Stargirl is a very unique young woman. She does not care what others think of her. She only wants to reach out to those around her through random acts of kindness. This story is told by Leo, a young man that had received a porcupine necktie for his birthday by an anonymous source. He and his friend are young talk show hosts that created a show for the school called The Hot Seat. During this show the person in the hot seat is asked all sorts of questions and he or she have to answer them. When Stargirl first comes to the school nobody knows what to think of her. She sings happy birthday to individual students in the lunchroom and she places a tablecloth and a vase with a flower in it on her desk in every class. One day Stargirl showed up to a football game and decided to randomly join the cheer leaders. Everyone shocked, but they grew to love and respect her for who she was. Stargirl was invited to join the cheer team. However, things go wrong when Stargirl cheers for more than just her team. She decides to cheer for the other team as well. When a basketball player from the other team gets hurt and falls to the ground Stargirl is the first to run to his side. The other students at the school cannot understand this and they come to hate her for it. They cannot believe that she could help the opposite team. Unfortunately, Leo and his friend had decided to put Stargirl on the hot seat while she was popular. This is unfortunate because they don't do the show until she is unpopular again. The questions that the jury asks Stargirl are almost cruel and they judge her harshly. At this point the boy Leo has come to really like Stargirl. Leo is torn between his need for people, and his love for Stargirl. However, he falls head over heals for her and for a while they are together. Eventually he notices that nobody in the school will talk to him or even look at him. He has been called Starboy at this point and when he realizes what everyone thinks of him he starts to feel disgusted with himself. He tries to make Stargirl change for him but the other students at the school still don't accept them. Finally, Stargirl returns to her normal self, but Leo has given up. In the end the other students come to love Stargirl again as they dance with her at a school dance. Leo watches from a distance. One day Stargirl just disappears and Leo goes to someone for guidance. He comes to learn more about Stargirl, including the fact that she was the one that gave him the porcupine necktie.

Personal Response
I thought that this was a very well written book that does a great job at addressing the cruelty that can exist in schools. It raises many questions about the way people think and respond to people that are different.

Potential Problems
The cruelty that Stargirl receives could be considered overly harsh. However, the problems that it addresses are perhaps more important.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this book to anyone that is struggling socially in school. This is a great book to encourage uniqueness. The message is that it is okay to be different.

Holes

Author: Louis Sachar
Publisher: Yearling
Copyright Date: 1998
Number of Pages: 236
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary
Stanley Yelnats and all of the guys in his family from generation to generation have been under a curse. Stanley's great great grandfather sought help from a gypsy named Madam Zeroni. She gave him a young piglet so that he could marry the woman that he desired. However, she made him promise that after the piglet was big and he was strong he would carry her up the mountain so that she could drink of the water and be made strong too. When the woman he desired was revealed to be unworthy of his hand he left on a ship to America immediately and forgot to carry her up the mountain. In return, Madam Zeroni lay the curse on him and his children, and his children's children. Stanley was thus under the same curse that his great great grandfather had been under. This curse caused great misfortune for his family. One day Stanley was walking home from school when a pair of tennis-shoes fell from the sky and hit him. At the time his father was working on an invention to recycle old smelly shoes. Stanley thought that these shoes were the smelliest he'd ever smelled so he was going to bring them home to his father. Unfortunately for him, the shoes had been stolen and Stanley was believed to be the thief, and so he was convicted of the crime. Stanley was sent to Camp Green Lake, a camp that is used as a detention center for young boys that commit crimes. While at this camp Stanley is forced to dig holes every day. Here at the camp everything falls into place. The warden of the camp appears to be looking for something and when Stanley finds an object that looks like a bullet the warden gets overly excited. Stanley has been told the stories of Kissing Kate Barlow because one of his relatives was robbed by her. Stanley figures out what the warden was looking for, Kate Barlow's stolen treasure. Another boy at the camp, Zero, is found to be the great great grandson of the same Madam Zeroni that put the curse on Stanley and his family. In the end Stanley carries zero up to the top of God's thumb where Zero drinks the water and Stanley sings the song. The curse is gone, and Stanley doesn't realize this until they return to the camp. Zero and Stanley dig their last hole in the middle of the night. Stanley had remembered the hole that he found the mysterious bullet, which turned out to be Kate Barlow's lip stick. After they dig through the night they find a chest, but right after they get it out, while they're still in the hole, the warden and her counselors find them. Thankfully, yellow spotted lizards, which are very deadly, were seen in the hole and the warden could not get the treasure without disturbing them. Stanley and Zero were not killed because they had eaten onions for several days on top of God's Thumb. Stanley's lawyer came, and Zero pointed out that the treasure chest had Stanley's name on it. Stanley and Zero went back to Stanley's home and his family was made wealthy and his father had great success with his inventions. Zero was able to find his mother. The camp was turned into a girls camp and the warden was found out.

Personal Response
I had read Holes before but I really enjoyed reading it again. This story was amazingly well written and I believe that it deserved the Newbery medal that it received. Louis Sachar intricately weaved the details into the story and no one detail was unimportant. I really enjoyed the style of writing that was unique to this story.

Potential Problems
One of the counselors in Holes is absolutely brutal to Zero, one of the boys at camp. This book may not be appropriate for younger children because of that cruelty. Also, it refers to hanging a black man for kissing a white woman.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this book to any child of the ages between 9 and 12. This is a great book for boys and girls of that age group, although I think it would be more appropriate for the older ages.

Look Out, Lion Cub!

Author: Michele Coxon
Illustrator: Michele Coxon
Publisher: Star Bright Books
Copyright Date: 1997
Number of Pages: 14
Reading Level: Ages 4-8




Summary
The little lion club is bored so he leaves his family. He tries to climb a tree but he can't climb as well as a monkey. Then he tries to reach the top of a tree like a giraffe. He then falls into the river and can't swim as well as a crocodile but an elephant comes and pulls him out of the water. In the end the little cub is frightened and calls for his mom and dad. The mother lion hears the lion cub and carries him back safely and the little cub falls asleep and dreams of climbing high into the red African sky.

Personal Response
I thought that this book was absolutely adorable. This is a great fun book because it has flaps in the book that help make the story fun and exciting. It helps the child participate in the book. I love how some of the words to the story were underneath the flaps it provides a little bit of excitement as the child tries to guess what could be underneath the flap. The illustrations were wonderful and the warm color choice made the story inviting and interesting.

Potential Problems
I couldn't find any potential problems of this story.

Recommended to...
I would recommend reading this to children that like running off on their own. It may encourage them to stay with their parent where they will be safest.

And My Mean Old Mother Will Be Sorry, Blackboard Bear

Author: Martha Alexander
Illustrated  By: Martha Alexander
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright Date: 2000
Number of Pages: 30
Reading Level: Ages 4-6



Summary
In this book a little boy is upset because he keep getting in trouble with his mother. He complains that she yells at him all the time. Suddenly a Bear comes out of the blackboard and says he could run away with him. So they set out together. The boy eats as much as he wants saying that mom never let him eat that much because she claimed that he would get sick. He gets sick. They continue on and the boy wants a hamburger but the bear only has fish that were still wiggling. When it gets dark the bear takes the boy to a cave for the night. While there the boy wishes that he could have his pillow and blanket. He starts missing his mother and wonders if she is lonely. He says that she is mostly a good mom. He really wants to go home. The bear gives him a ride back hme and the boy finds his Teddy underneath the window. In the end the little boy climbs back into his room clinging to his Teddy Bear.

Personal Response
I absolutely loved this book. The illustrations are absolutely wonderful. I love how it shows the Blackboard Bear coming out of the Blackboard. This book addresses children's very real feeling that parents can be really mean. However, this story turns it around back at the child, and says in response, parents can be really nice to. It shows how parents are mostly nice even if you get in trouble sometimes.

Potential Problems
At the very end instead of the mother telling the child how much she loves him it ends with the boy telling his teddy bear that he loves him. The mother doesn't actually show her son how much she cares about him.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this book to young children who get in trouble. This would be a good book for children to realize that parents don't tell their children not to do things because they're mean, it's because they know whats best for them.

Hush

Author: Minfong Ho
Illustrated By: Holly Meade
Publisher: Orchard Books
Copyright Date: 1996
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 4-8





Summary
After the mother put her baby to sleep the hushes the entire forest starting with the mosquito. In the end everything is finally quiet and the mother falls asleep. The baby is laying awake in his bed.

Personal Response
I thought that this book was very entertaining. It is really funny that after the mother goes out of her way to hush the entire forest her little baby wakes up all smiley when everything is quiet and the mother is asleep.

Potential Problems
I couldn't find any potential problems in this story.

Recommended to...
This would be a great book to read to any child as a bedtime story. I would not recommend reading it to a classroom except perhaps before a nap time or quiet time.

The Trouble With Twins

Author: Bonnie Worth
Illustrated By: Tom Leigh
Publisher: Jim Henson Productions
Copyright Date: 1993
Number of Pages: 26
Reading Level: Ages 7-12





Summary
This story is about two twins named Skeeter and Skooter. Skeeter was really good at using her new yoyo and skooter was very jealous because of all the attention that Skeeter was getting. It made him remember when they had gotten pogo sticks and Skeeter had been so good at it. It also reminded him of when they got beanbags for juggling and Skeeter was really good at it but Skooter couldn't do it right. Then the teacher announed the science fair. Skooter was really excited about it. He decided that he would make a model rocket. Skeeter first decided to make a model of the solar system but she made it out of oranges and lemons and they went bad before the science fair. So she decided to make a model of a robin but it didn't work. Then she decided to pick flowers and label them in a book but the flowers fell apart. Finally, Skooter helped skeeter realize that she could use her yoyo for the science project by explaining gravity and motion. In the end Skooter won the grand prize and Skeet won the certificate for the most practical project.

Personal Response
I thought this book was wonderful. It confronts the very real feeling of jealousy. It shows how the one twin overcomes his jealousy by doing something that he is good at and then helping the person he was jealous of. It would be a great book for a child that can relate to that feeling, and that is pretty much every child.

Potential Problems
I couldn't find any potential problems in this story.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this to children that are learning how to deal with other people. This would be good for children that are becoming aware of other children. This would be a great tool to start talking about ways to deal with and overcome feelings of jealousy or inadequacy.

Strega Nona

Author: Tomie DePaola
Illustrated By Tomie DePaola
Publisher: Simon And Schuster
Copyright Date: 1975
Number of Pages: 30
Reading Level: Ages 4-8





Summary
Strega Nona was the Grandmother which that created potions and cures for the town. She had a magic pot that would fill itself when Strega Nona sang a certain song. To get it to stop she would sing another song and blow three kisses. Big Anthony, her helper, was fascinated by her ability to do this and he learned the song. Trying to impress the villagers he sang the song and fed all of the people. Then he sang the song to make it stop but he did not blow three kisses so the noodles kept coming out of the pot. The pasta was about to cover the whole town when Strega nona came down the road and sang the magic song and blew three kisses. As a punishment Big Anthony had to eat all of the pasta.

Personal Response
I absolutely love this book. I remember reading it as a child. The illustrations are very unique and so is the story line. It teaches children to not play with things that they don't understand and are potentially dangerous.

Potential Problems
At the very end Big Anthony is forced to eat all of the pasta as a punishment and his stomach is bulging out a little bit. This would be very bad for children that are worried about their weight. It gives the false impression that eating noodles makes you fat.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this book to both boys and girls. It would be a good story to read at anytime.

Old Macdonald Drives A Tractor

Author: Ton Carter
Illustrator: Don Carter
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Copyright Date: 2007
Number of Pages: 24
Reading Level: Ages 4-8





Summary
In this book Old Macdonald goes through everything that he has to do in the day. The story talks about what a farmer has to do. It talks about him pulling a seeder, watering the land, cutting down the wheat field, spreading manure, harvesting his crop, and pulling all of the animals to the fair with his tractor. In the end after working all day the farmer climbs up his stairs to bed.

Personal Response
This book wasn't the best book I read but it was entertaining. I thought that the pictures were necessary for this story because they show what some words mean. Many children do not live on a farm so they have never seen a tractor. This book would be a wonderful one to read before or after a trip to the farm. A child would be much more interested if he or she has actually seen the things that are in the book.

Potential Problems
I couldn't find any potential problems in this book.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this book to young children that are learning about animals on a farm. This would be a wonderful book to read before or after going to a farm.

Maisy's Pool

Author: Lucy Cousins
Illustrator: Lucy Cousins
Publisher: Walker Books
Copyright Date: 1999
Number of Pages: 24
Reading level: Ages 4-8





Summary
In this story Maisy the mouse and Tallulah are very hot so Maisy has the idea to get out the little pool. After they blow it up and fill it with water they realize that there is a whole in it. Maisy mends it but then elephant comes and decides to get in the pool. Elephant was so big that Maisy and Talulah couldn't fit. In the end the elephant uses his trunk as a sprinkler.

Personal Response
I absolutely love the Maisy Mouse books. I think they are great books for young children that are learning to enjoy reading. This particular book would be a great one to read during the summer. It is a very cute story where Maisy encounters some problems and is able to come up with conclusions. Very young children learn the basics of problem solving in this book. I also absolutely love the illustrations and the colors. They provide for a very relaxed happy mood.

Potential Problems
I couldn't find any potential problems in this story.

Recommended to...
This book would be a great one to read during the summer to both boys and girls.

Dog's Colorful Day

Author: Emma Dodd
Illustrator: Emma Dodd
Publisher: Penguin Group
Copyright Date: 2000
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 3-6





Summary
This story is a number book with the dog spot that has one dot on his ear. On each page Spot gains a new colorful spot. In the end he has ten colorful spots. He has a red post of jam, a blue blob spot from paint, a green spot from grass, a yellow spot from pollen, a brown spot of chocolate, a pink spot of ice cream, an orange spot of juice, a purple smudge of ink, and the black spot on his ear. Then his owner gives him a bath and he goes back to bed with no spots.

Personal Response
This is a great number book. It is really creative and very fun. The colors of the spots are all bright and colorful. I think it is a perfect book to teach children to count to ten. Also, on one of the pages  it includes synonyms for spot. It would be a great book to introduce very young children to the more complicated idea of a synonym.

Potential Problems
I couldn't find any potential problems in this story.

Recommended to...
I would recommend reading this to very young children of any gender. This would be a great book to start teaching a child to count.

The Littlest Pilgrim

Author: Brandi Dougherty
Illustrated By: Kirsten Richards
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright Date: 2008
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: 9-12





Summary:
The littlest pilgrim named mini goes around asking everyone if she can help or tries to help. The people either don't notice her or say she is too little to help. She is very sad so she goes off alone and picks some berries. Then she sees a little indian girl in the woods and goes over to talk to her. In the end she decides that she is too little for many things but she is not too little to make friends.

Personal Response
I absolutely loved this book. I thought it was well done in every aspect. I think that even younger children could enjoy this story. I think it does a great job at making pilgrims real to children. I also like how it shows relationships. It shows the relationships among the family and also the relationship between the pilgrims and the Indians. The colors were so much fun to look at. I love the style and the colors used. It made the story real.

Potential Problems
I couldn't find any problems in this story.

Recommended to...
This would be a great book to read around Thanksgiving time. I would recommend teachers or parents to read it to their children around that time. It is a wonderful book that would especially be fun for younger children who may try to help out around the house only to not be noticed or to be told that they are too young to help.

Boo Boo

Author: Olivier Dunrea
Illustrated By Olivier Dunrea
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Copyright Date: 2004
Number of Pages: 32
Reading level: Ages 4-8





Summary
 This story is about a little gosling that likes to eat. The book talks about everything that she eats. When the gosling is done eating it keeps burping and the turtle tells it to drink some water to stop burping. In the end the gosling stops burping and continues to eat.

Personal Response
I thought that this book was too simple. I don't think that children in this age group would find this book interesting. I think that children that are learning how to talk would like this book. However, I think it would be too simple for even slightly older children. The illustrations were very simple and cute with very bright happy colors.

Potential Problems
This book may be too simple for some children. Other than that, there are no apparent problems with this book.

Recommended to...
I would recommend parents to read this to very young children. Since this book is so simple I would recommend that parents only continue to read it a few times. The child wouldn't learn very much from this book but it might be enjoyable to read anyway.

Petunia

Author: Roger Devoisin
Illustrated by: Roger Devoisin
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Copyright Date: 1950
Number of Pages: 28
Reading Level: Ages 4-8





Summary
In this book Petunia finds a book and believes that it will make her wiser. She carries it around with her everywhere and sleeps with it. She believed so firmly that it was making her wiser that she helped other animals with there problems. For example, she told the horse that was having a tooth ache that he simply needed to take out all of his teeth. One day the animals discover a red box and Petunia wisely proclaims that they need to open it. The box was filled with dynamite and it blew up and blew open the book. In the end Petunia looks inside the book and realizes that it is not enough to simply carry wisdom, you have put it in your mind and heart. So from that day on she started reading the books and putting the words into her ind and heart so that she could become wiser.

Personal Response
This book was very cute and fun to read. I loved how clearly the author shows how mistaken Petunia is with her ridiculous ideas to help the animals. The illustrations in this book went along really well with the story. I also really liked how the pictures were simple and yet dignified.

Potential Problems
This book may not be considered appropriate by some parents because of the dynamite at the end. Also, Petunia's suggestions cause harm on the other animals.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this book to children that like when there is a meaning behind the story. This would be a good book to use if a parent or teacher wants to motivate the child to read or work on becoming wiser. This is a motivational book.

Snowballs

Author: Louis Emert
Illustrator: Lois Emert
Publisher: Voyager Books
Copyright Date: 1995
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 3-5




Summary:
In this book a child is telling the story about a day when his family made snowmen in the front yard. The child says that they made a snow dad, a snow mom, a snow boy, and even a snow cat and dog. Later the sun comes out and the child tells how the snow melted so the snow dad, mom, boy, cat, and dog melted. In the end of the book it shows the names of different things and talks about what snow is and where it comes from.

Personal Response:
I thought that this book was magnificent. It's Illustrations are extremely fun. They are photographs and the story is read in parts on both pages and it is turned so that its read sideways.

Potential Problems:
I couldn't find any potential problems.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this book to very young children that live in a snowy place or during the winter time.

Gilberto And The Wind

Author: Marie Hall ETS
Illustrated By: Marie Hall ETS
Publisher: Penguin Group
Copyright Date: 1963
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 4-7





Summary
This story is about the wind and a little black boy. The child talks about wind and what it likes or doesn't like. He  is with the wind when it blows away his balloon, blows the laundry on the line, blows down an apple from the tree, and finally when the wind stops blowing. In the end the little boy lies down under the willow tree and falls asleep with the wind.

Personal Response:
I liked the simplicity of the story. I really like it when stories make you aware of or make you think about aspects of like that you hadn't really thought about before. The child's simple response and thoughts about the wind are very calm and sweet. I really liked how simple the illustrations were. There were only three colors throughout the entire book.

Potential Problems:
I couldn't find any potential problems.

Recommended too...
I would recommend this book to young children that need to settle down or go to sleep. This book seems very calming.